


The Herald

by Kenzie_Kennity



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-17 06:09:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13070733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kenzie_Kennity/pseuds/Kenzie_Kennity
Summary: After the initial encounter with Corypheus, something changed. Cassandra wasn’t completely sure what, she just knew it had. In a short time, Jordan had gone from being a suspect to an ally to…she stirred friendship in her.





	The Herald

**Author's Note:**

> This is mostly about their friendship. With that being said, this is pre-slash as I intend to continue this with them as a focal ship. So yes, their friendship is a huge part but this is an opening to a future ship.

After the initial encounter with Corypheus, something changed. Cassandra wasn’t completely sure what, she just knew it had. In a short time, Jordan had gone from being a suspect to an ally to…she stirred friendship in her. She had few friends but she knew she cared about what happened to the woman. She was concerned for her, concerned about all of them but the way she felt about her was different entirely. It was almost the opposite of what she felt for Varric. Sure, she didn’t really hate the infuriating dwarf but her chest didn’t clinch every time he fell.

It wasn’t as bad in the beginning. When they went back and forth between the Hinterlands she could keep an eye on her. She could fight off the mages and templars at her side. If she fell, she could help her back up. Still, over weeks, something weighed on her mind. A feeling of impending doom whenever she spoke to her. Even as more allies came, as people started to show concern for her she still worried. Jordan was her responsibility, she’d drawn her into this.

It was all fine and well until Haven. The Herald had been in a hurry, just grabbing a couple people and barely stopping at Cassandra,

“Help get everyone inside. Get them to safety!” before Cassandra could protest she was off, sword coming up and a glint of fire against the steel made her pause. This was who she was, a warrior. Someone who was going to fight for them all. It became real in that moment.

And fight she did.

She fought off so many Red Templars, she fought off Maker knows what and she was still only concerned about the safety of everyone else. She could idly hear her barking out orders and caught her eye for a split second as she waved people into the chantry. Cassandra’s mouth opened but Jordan was already directing more people and Cassandra went to tend to her duties. She went to help people and trusted that the Herald wouldn’t be far behind.

She’d been partly right.

One minute she was trying to calm her racing heart at the knowledge that she’d die in a Chantry surrounded by politicians and townsfolk, on bad terms with her family. She would die without ever getting vengeance for the Most Holy, she would die hiding. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. And then life swooped in, in the form of a distressed Commander and a pained Chancellor Rodrick with whatever Cole was. They were rushing through, whispering quickly and pushing ahead.

“Cullen! What of the Herald?!” she caught his arm quickly and he paused. He stared down for a moment before met her eyes, a flicker of pain passing through. They were silent for a few moments, sizing each other up. Finally, she nodded. “Of course. Everyone! Follow the commander!” she called, helping him get everyone out to the best of their ability.

The cold air as they began their march didn’t even bother her. Instead, she stood outside the line of people, sizing them up and redirecting soldiers to help those who needed it. She shared frequent looks with Leliana, Cullen and Josephine. It was like in the moment, they were the only three that understood what was happening. In the back of their minds, she was sure everyone knew but no one would say it, not yet. No one would admit that the Herald saved them again.

Even the ones who still didn’t trust her. She’d even saved all the assholes who doubted her, had given her life for the likes of Rodrick and his annoying hate filled spewing.

The signal going up once they were over the mountain pass caused her heart to squeeze. She couldn’t focus on that pain in that moment but it reminded her of when she was younger and she’d wrestle her cousins. One of them, Owen, was much bigger and didn’t know his strength. More than once he’d squeezed the air from her lungs and left her sides and ribs hurting. That’s what it felt like, knowing that a single signal was how they got to say goodbye to the woman who risked everything for them.

She could push it down as battle fatigue catching up.

\--

They’d stopped to camp when it felt like they had enough distance between them. The people needed it, they needed it, _she_ needed it. There’d been a tension in the air since they began making camp, it was finally dawning on them.

Battle high was wearing thin and everyone finally understood what had happened that night. As she looked around the camp, she let out a disgusted sigh. They’d lost so many people, so many good people, most weren’t even soldiers. But they wanted to fight, to pull their weight.

They couldn’t even pull an ounce of energy to mention her. They just let it cling in the air like some vile ale, touching all their tongues but no one wanted to be the one who blurted it out. She was gone. Not only would they have to notify the families of the fighters lost in Haven, someone with some power in their name would have to personally notify the Trevelyans. They would have to apologize for losing their daughter in a fight she didn’t even want.

“Maybe she survived.” Cullen was the first to speak. It was all he’d said in hours and it made Cassandra stop fussing over her bedroll.

“Survived? How?! Do you think she pulled a dragon from her ass and rode away?” she snapped before she could calm herself.

“Well, she did walk out of the fade and say, ‘What’s up bitches?’. You really wanna put it past her?”

“Now isn’t the time for your jokes, Varric. We lost too many good people tonight. We lost the Herald.”

“Is that all she was to you? She was a woman, a daughter and a sister. All you can bring yourself to call her is the ‘Herald’. After all she’s done doesn’t she deserve a little humanity?” Varric took a step closer to her and she growled in her throat.

“Is all this fighting necessary? Without the Herald of Andraste, and yes that’s who she was, we have to figure out what Corephyus’s next move is and plan accordingly.” Leliana, always the voice of reason. Cassandra didn’t want to hear her reason. She wanted someone to care as much as she did, as much as Varric almost seemed to. 

“Maker, can’t we take two fucking hours to mourn this? People lost their entire families and I assume, if the rest of you are like me, we lost a friend.” Varric again. Suddenly he wasn’t so bad.

“…we have to prepare to notify families.” Cullen’s soft voice drifted in.

“There’s so much pain here. Everyone is hurting in different ways. It’s the same though. All of you.”

“Now is not the place, _Demon._ ” Cassandra spat the word and Cole shrank away a little.

“Hey, don’t take this out on the kid!”

“Quiet, Dwarf!” out of the corner of her eye she could see Blackwall shake his head and walk off a little. He didn’t seem to want to deal with all the drama they were bringing to the table but their careless attitude did nothing to help. She grunted and walked away from them, back to her bedroll, kneeling and cursing this all.

None of this was fair.

There were so many people deserving but the Maker decided to take Jordan, of all people. The person sent to speak for His bride and He took her from them. She didn’t understand his will. Not at all.

“…. Commander Cullen!” her head snapped up when they heard a guard call out to him. There was a shuffle as he ran past and she stood as well, her sword immediately ready.

“There!” she heard Cullen call out and she ran as quickly as she could, almost collapsing in relief.

“Thank the Maker!” she cried as they all crowded to get Jordan inside and somewhere safe. She was cold, she was battered and bruised but she was alive but she was back with them. Cassandra had her back.


End file.
